Institute of Human Genetics

Human genetics is regarded as the prototype of an interdisciplinary specialty designed to function as a bridge between basic research and clinical medicine. With ever increasing rapidity the genetic basis of more and more diseases can be explained and this has led to interchanges with practically all branches of medicine. The growing need for professional counseling, expertise and diagnostic services in the field of medical genetics accounted for the introduction of the specialist for human genetics. The institute represents the field of human genetics in terms of patient care, research and teaching.

The institute consists of two separate departments:

The Department of Human Genetics is composed of several research groups and diagnostic laboratories. Genetic counseling, including inpatient consultations, is provided by the Outpatient Clinic, and is supported by the institute's own laboratories for chromosome analysis and molecular genetic diagnostic services. Research activities focus on tumor genetics, developmental genetics, functional genome analysis neurogenetics as well as clinical genetics. As to the various teaching commitments, the institute is engaged in the pre-clinical and clinical training of medical students in Heidelberg and Mannheim as well as in the Faculty of Biology.

You can find us at two different locations:

Outpatient Clinic of the Institute of Human Genetics (Genetische Poliklinik):